Blue White Illustrated

David Taylor is returning to Rec Hall. A two-time NCAA champion and four-time finalist for Penn State, Tay- lor, who concluded his college career in 2014, is now one of the best freestyle wrestlers in the world. Com- peting at 86 kilograms with the Nit- tany Lion Wrestling Club, Taylor has been surging the past two years. In 2017, he won the U.S. Open and World Cup in addition to other prestigious international tournaments, and he's only continued to progress in 2018. In April at the U.S. Marine Corps National Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Taylor blew through the tournament, amassing an 8-0 record and outscoring his opponents by a combined score of 42-2. That per- formance secured him a ticket to the next wrestling event that will be held on PSU's campus. Organized by USA Wrestling and FloSports.com, a new event arrives on the wrestling scene this summer. Called the Final X Series, it is billed as the ultimate competition between the country's best freestyle wrestlers. Spread out throughout three separate events, Final X will determine the 2018 U.S. Senior World Team in both men's and women's freestyle. One site for those three events is University Park, Pa. Set for 6 p.m. June 16, Taylor's weight class is one of six that will be decided during the event at Rec Hall. The 65kg and 79kg weight classes will also be contested at Penn State, while the 62kg, 72kg and 76kg women will also work toward a spot on the world team, which will compete at the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in October. Lehigh and Nebraska are the other two college programs that have been chosen as Final X host sites. –T.O. THE SCOOP A national recruit, Bravo- Young considered Arizona State, Ne- braska, North Carolina and Oregon State before choosing Penn State, the most distant of the schools on his list. Once considered an option for the 125- pound vacancy, Bravo-Young has been bulking up as he matures and might start his career at 133. He's likely to end up at 141 eventually. Joe Lee Evansville, Ind. | 165/174 pounds RANKINGS No. 10 overall by Inter- matWrestle; No. 2 at 160 by FloWrestling HIGH SCHOOL Two-time state cham- pion, most recently at 152 as a junior... Finishes with a 102-4 career record... Forwent senior season THE SCOOP Lee is following in the foot- steps of his brother, Nick, who is one year older and claimed 141-pound All-Amer- ica honors this past season for PSU as a true freshman. Both bypassed their sen- ior season of high school and moved to State College to begin training with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. It worked well for Nick, and Joe got off to a good start as well. As he worked to earn his diploma online, Lee also competed in a few open tournaments, wrestling unat- tached at both 157 and 165. In his last two – the Wilkes Open and Edinboro Open – he competed at 165 and posted a 9-2 combined record. Aaron Brooks* North Hagerstown, Md. | 174/184 pounds RANKINGS No. 14 overall by Inter- matWrestle; No. 1 at 182 by FloWrestling HIGH SCHOOL The seventh four-time state champion in Maryland history, most recently at 182... Pinned his way through the state tournament two years in a row... Finishes with a 163-2 career record THE SCOOP Instead of enrolling this summer, Brooks plans to spend one post- grad year at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. In addition to his folkstyle accomplishments, he is also a world-class freestyle competitor. Three times he has won a Fargo national cham- pionship, and this past September he won a Cadet World title. Once he arrives in State College, he'll continue training freestyle while keeping his sights on a spot on the 2020 Olympic team at 74 kilograms. In a PSU singlet, he'll likely take over at either 174 or 184 in two or three years. Michael Beard* Pottstown, Pa. | 197 pounds RANKINGS No. 12 overall by Inter- matWrestle; No. 2 at 195 by FloWrestling HIGH SCHOOL Three-time National Preps champion... Finishes with a 266-19 career record, including 141 consecutive wins to end career THE SCOOP Beard attended Malvern Prep, some 30 miles away from his home in Bucks County. He became one of the best prep wrestlers in the country and initially committed to Northwestern be- fore reconsidering after his junior season and announcing for PSU in May 2017. He is on track to join the Nittany Lions in 2019, as his plan is to grayshirt this year and then start his eligibility clock just as PSU finds itself in need of a new 197- pounder. Seth Nevills Clovis, Calif. | 285 pounds RANKINGS No. 37 overall by Inter- matWrestle; No. 3 at 285 by FloWrestling HIGH SCHOOL The third four-time state champion in California history, all at heavyweight... Pinned his way through the state tournament two seasons in a row... Finishes with a 169-1 career record THE SCOOP It was Penn State from the beginning for Nevills, who followed the cross-country trail blazed by older brother Nick, an All-American who en- ters his senior season as the Nittany Lions' heavyweight. Seth is lined up to redshirt his first year on campus and then take over the spot left behind by big brother for the 2019 season. ■ S P E C I A L S E C T I O N N E W C O M E R S O F I N F L U E N C E * Will join the roster for the 2019-2020 season Taylor to highlight freestyle event at Penn State

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